Conventionally, a network processor may have a pipeline architecture. A HX300 network processor of the Marvell company has a programmable pipeline architecture which may be regarded as similar to a pipeline in an automobile production process. The HX300 network processor includes multiple cores. The multiple cores are grouped into N groups, and the different groups are coupled in a pipeline way. Each core in the pipeline only implements some of functions, and the multiple cores implement all functions by cooperation. For example, a first core performs packet header analysis, a second core performs multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) protocol, and a third core searches an access control list (ACL). In this case, each core only performs some of functions. Each core corresponds to a segment of microcodes. Multiple segments of microcodes corresponding to the multiple cores are integrated to obtain complete microcodes. Multiple engine access points (EAP) units may be included among the cores of the processor to implement an operation of table lookup, as shown in FIG. 1. In the above-described technical solution, efficiency of the processor for processing data is low.